Nanny cams cause concern

Story link: Nanny cams cause concern by Jan Harris

Parents in the UK are increasingly using ‘nanny cams’ to check that their children are being safely cared for.

The in-home surveillance technology is popular in the USA, but UK sales are now increasing rapidly according to online retailers such as eBay.

A variety of wireless cameras are available which can be concealed in household objects such as stuffed toys, clocks or plants.

Live video images from the cameras can be viewed via the internet on a PC or on a mobile phone, allowing parents to check up on their nannies while they away from home.

However, in an interview on BBC Breakfast, Philip Parkin, the General Secretary of Voice: the union for education professionals, spoke out against the use of these devices to secretly monitor employees in their workplace.

According to Mr Parkin, the cameras can only view limited areas of the home, and he recommended that parents be able to place their trust in a qualified nanny with suitable references.

He advised that nannies should come under a compulsory national registration scheme for those working with children.